When my dad died in February, I lost all sense of home. I was half-orphaned — a gaping, black hole in my life and my being. Home has been tricky for a while. Long ago, it was my childhood house on a cul-de-sac; the place I did my homework and laundry, where I slept and ate and spent time with…

I first learned how to numb when my mom became ill and was hospitalized when I was 13. She went to the hospital and we went into survival mode—part of which involved numbing things to the “not-going-to-consume-me-with-raging-fire-of-the-miserable-unfairness-of-it-all” level. So, while my mom was in the hospital, my dad, two siblings, and I watched TV. Like a lot of it. Anything to forget and…

Even typing this title seems like a betrayal. My family and friends know how happy the gym makes me. How I talked about CrossFit and my gym for the first two years straight, regardless of if the listening party was interested. How my gym was my self-professed “church”, my rock through some of the stormiest times of my life. The…

Last Friday, I made a decision to do something new. Something risky. Something audacious. I’ve always loved being outdoors and have backpacked many times in my life. But on that weekend, I decided to go solo for the very first time. After a quick search on the internet and a visit to my local REI, I was ready to go. (Side…

I haven’t worked out in 6 weeks. I’ve been traveling in northern Thailand, repatriating from South Korea to Colorado, working on home improvement projects for my parents, and spending tons of time with family, friends, and my beautiful Colorado mountains. So, when I walked in to my first CrossFit class four days ago, I was ready to get a good sweat…

It’s ok to be a party-pooper. For reals. After several months of saying yes to, legit, everything in my first expat experience in Seoul, I had to learn the next big lesson: saying no. (A lesson I continue to work on refining in my life four years later.) Upon arriving in a new country and home, it’s of the utmost importance…

The expat life starts with a yes that feels like leaping into an abyss. Yes. I will sign that multi-year contract, person I met yesterday. I’m pretty sure I would love to work for you. Yes. I will sell or give away most of my earthly possessions. Yes. I will move ALONE to a new country where pretty much everything…

Let’s get real for a quick minute. Teaching is hard. Being an expat is hard. These are worlds that challenge who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Teachers and expats are extraordinary people doing inspiring things. They are brave. They are smart. They are resourceful. They are high-achievers. They are goal-setters. Here’s what I’ve learned in…

Seriously?! I just clearly laid out the directions. They’re on the board. We did a comprehension check. We’re five minutes into work time and they’re giggling and pointing at their computer screens. WTF?! Why aren’t they doing what I said? I remember in my first few years of teaching, having a constant stream of frustration sprinkled with swear words running through my…

The last few days I’ve been percolating on the idea of limiting thoughts, and how these little nagging buggers have such power to negatively impact our lives and our happiness when we let them have free reign in our minds. On Friday night, I was getting ready for bed and mentally preparing for the big CrossFit Competition the next day.…